Bonne Legends
by TheNameUGiveMe
Summary: Continuation from The Misadventures of Everyone. Has action, guns, explosions, and even some romance! Full summary on Chapter 1.
1. Old Friends

**A government digging crew appointed by leader of an island nation, Chairman Arik Drop, come across a discovery that they believe should be utilized as a defense weapon. The Chairman disagrees with weaponization and orders the digging project cancelled. Behind his back, however, it continues with disastrous ramifications.**

 **A few months after the final chapter of The Misadventures of Everyone...**

Gold City. Ryship Island's largest city could not boast much about attractions that could bring in tourists and thereby increase its economy. Regardless, it remained a peaceful city sitting on the edge of the island. But with standard protocol, exceptions occurred within the peaceful city. On one particular night the scene was set. In an alleyway that was easy to miss unless you were looking for it, a man, barely walking, appeared to be running from an unknown attacker. He held his neck as it bled, droplets falling to the ground almost every second. His breath was sharp; painfully trying to inhale fresh air as he limped along. Blood; he reeked of it. He knew what he did. He hadn't expected to pay for his actions on such short notice. The pain was increasing, causing his vision started to blur in cycles. The metal fence in front of him blocked the way. If he could just make it over, he might escape. Behind him, footsteps were getting closer. It was him. It was the attacker. He panicked. The end was close. He jumped several times to grab the top of the fence but the pain prevented him from his full potential. Letting out a very nervous sigh he dropped to his knees and accepted his fate. The attacker was behind him just several feet. He knew it. Without turning around he remained on the cold concrete pathway.  
"Impressive. I must say, for someone with a hole in their neck you got pretty far" the pursuer said.  
He winced in pain but remained silent. Nothing he did would change the outcome of the situation.  
"I have to thank you for making this job a hell of a lot easier. My client is excepting you so come along quietly or I'll have to end this prematurely" he said, binding his victim.  
At a condemned mansion outside of Gold City, the pursuer dragged the victim to the family room by his gray blood soaked shirt. The full moon was enough to reveal the broken windows, overturned furniture, and many bullet holes in the walls. The attacker stopped for a moment and listened to the sounds. Other than the prey groaning in pain, he heard nothing for a few seconds. Then the small sound of glass breaking came from the dining room. The chandelier above the wooden oval table turned on. The client walked in, revealing himself. His dark brown eyes, almost black, stared at the bloody victim in the hands of his hired worker.  
"Well, is this the guy, Teisel?" the worker asked, finally letting go of the purple-haired man he easily apprehended.  
Teisel, examined him. He had a gut feeling something was off but his rage set off by the death of his parents and his sister being taken away was more than enough to settle for this man as the killer he was after. In the back of his mind he felt it was the wrong man but he wanted someone to pay. He succumbed to his anger and confirmed.  
"Yes. This is the piece of trash that killed my parents!" he glared down at him.  
The victim did not flinch. He looked up at Teisel, almost looking satisfied for the work he had done. Then he felt a metal object touch his back, right behind his heart. A trigger was pulled and a loud pop went through the mansion as a bullet entered his back and exited the front of his chest, taking chunks of his heart and ribs with it. The bullet embedded itself in the dirty carpet. His face went into a state of shock as the pain was too much to bear. He fell forward onto the floor, blood quickly spreading in all directions as his chest wound began to leak. He twitched a few times before going lifeless.  
"Hey...why did you do that?!" Teisel exclaimed.  
"What? He murdered your parents. This is what you wanted wasn't it?"  
"As much as I wanted revenge...this doesn't seem right! Oddly enough I feel at peace now. Still, I have to answer to this"  
"Look, are you sure about this? The cops find you here, you're done. This murder and trespassing in this home...that's grounds for life imprisonment"  
"This is my home! Don't you forget it! This is where my parents and my sister were taken away from me! I'll take full responsibility for what happens next. I suggest you leave!" Teisel said.  
"I don't understand the wealthy sometimes. Whatever. I hope you know what you're getting into" the pursuer walked away.  
Teisel looked at the dead victim as he bled profusely everywhere on the tapestry that once belonged to his parents. In the distance police sirens were approaching the condemned home. Teisel knew he would be arrested. He had to do it. It would be the only way to reunite the only other remaining family member he had left.

 **17 years later**

The United Island Federation or UIF was a nation that consisted of several major islands including Ryship and Kattelox Island. After much debate, each independent island allowed themselves to become part of a nation for both political reasons and financial. They all answered to Capital City, located on Grand Island which, as the name implied, was much more massive than the other islands put together. With a name like Capital City, one would expect it to be a majorly populated city center. The truth of the matter was that it was a mere village town with several small local businesses but with a large capital building. It was the idea of the Chairman who ran the UIF. He was never a crowd person so he settled for a small village town. The capital building itself was a Greek-style stone building with a gold colored dome in the center. At the top of the dome, the green and blue flag of the UIF waved proudly, a testament to the success of the multi-island nation. Inside the capital building Arik Drop, the first Chairman of the UIF, was engaged in a meeting with several of his advisors. The mood was calm but the subject was highly controversial.  
"The last thing we need is to increase our defenses. Our current weapon systems are more than enough to ward off any attack, gentleman" Arik said.  
"Sir, with increasing threats from other island nations on Terra it is paramount we take action and defend this nation"  
"It's not my fault I figured out how to achieve a perfect balance of freedom and nationalizing our current money system so our citizens can live peacefully. It's no surprise that other countries are envious of what I have created"  
The advisors sat silently in the glass office overlooking a flower garden on the same level. Standing next to the Chairman was a younger man, his apprentice, who awaited orders. His suit was dark gray and his hair was blue and spiky but he also had a long ponytail. Over a speaker the chairman received a call.  
"Sir, someone is here to see you"  
"Jane, I'm in the middle of something very important. Who is it?" the chairman responded.  
"Just a second...he told me to ask you if the name 'Teisel Bonne' rings a bell"  
The chairman sat silently now. That name surely rang a bell with him. He quickly thought of the past memories he shared with that name. His advisors broke him out of his thoughts.  
"Sir? Are you paying attention?" an advisor asked.  
"Gentleman...can this continue in a few hours? Something just came up" the green-eyed chairman asked of his workers.  
They were not in the least bit pleased with this idea but at the same time they were not the leaders. With a grunt they slowly started to stand up.  
"Sir...fine. But only a few hours. There is much that has to be discussed"  
The 4 advisors sat up from their leather seats and walked out the door into the garden, overlooking a fjord that connected with the sea.  
"Send him in, Jane" the chairman said.  
Two large brown doors opened up, revealing the man Arik was expecting. It had been many years. He was not prepared to see someone in green armor with long white hair and blood red lenses for eyes. Teisel stopped just a few feet in front of the chairman and his apprentice. Arik was speechless.  
"It's been a while hasn't it?" Teisel started.  
"Teisel...what the hell happened to you?" the chairman asked.  
Teisel sighed. He wasn't surprised by Arik's sudden surprise. Even though it had been a while, he understood the chairman's sudden concern.  
"It's...it's a long story. I hope you have time"  
"We'll get to that in a second. My goodness, look at you!" they both gave each other a bro hug then got down to business.  
"You drink, Teisel?" Arik asked.  
"Ehh...not outside my home. I prefer tea or coffee if you have it"  
"Right away. Robert" he said turning to his apprentice.  
"Get Teisel here green tea, right way"  
"Yes sir" he replied with a slight bow then left to get the tea.  
"Have a seat Teisel" the chairman invited to Teisel.  
The table was a long 15 foot rectangular piece of oak with the top laminated. The capital's main officer resembled Teisel's room quite a bit; bookshelves on every wall. Teisel took note of this while sitting down but then engaged in a conversation with the chairman.  
"It's been...what...17 years now, Arik?"  
"Something like that...why the hell has it taken you so long?"  
"I had to get my family then get us a place to live. It took a while but eventually I did everything I vowed to do when I was arrested"  
Arik looked somewhat guilty.  
"I'm...I'm sorry for that, Teisel. You shouldn't have taken the fall for what I did"  
"It made me a better person. I learned how to fight, build, manage money, steal, you know, all the things we should have kept doing. On that note, what the heck are you doing here?!"  
The chairman laughed heartily then gave his explanation.  
"A few years after that incident, my boss, Jethro, attempted to unite the islands like they are now but he didn't have a proper backing. I'll be the first to admit, he wasn't good with words. Sadly he passed away young so I took over and eventually united all the islands around here"  
"Well yes...but why?" Teisel asked.  
"Because...over time I felt guilty for killing the man who killed your parents and having you take the fall for it. It was at that point I wanted to make things right but it was too late for you. Jethro entrusted me to take over once he passed away and he knew his time was short. I didn't think it would be that short. I was apprehensive about this whole thing in the beginning but over time I realized I was just what these people need. And I have had no complaints either! Hard to believe I know. These people quickly accepted becoming part of the UIF and I couldn't have asked for a better outcome" he took a sip of his bourbon.  
"By the way, who's the kid you have working for you?"  
"Oh Robert? His name is Robert Light. If you hadn't picked up on it already he's my apprentice. As far as picking a successor, you have to go through apprenticeship once you've been selected. That's what I established in the law. Robert was among a group of young kids who were potential candidates but Robert possessed the greatest skills. And once you're an apprentice you learn everything. How to play music on just about every instrument, mathematics, history, philosophy, even chivalry. It is important to teach young men the proper way to treat a woman because quite frankly I'm tired of the shit I see on the streets. But anyways, once my term is up Robert will become chairman of the UIF"  
Arik stood up out of his seat and began walking slowly towards the window with both arms behind his back. Arik was the same height as Teisel. He had the exact same build; brawny. His skin color was light brown...tan to be exact. He resembled someone of Mediterranean decent. The black suit he wore was bought at thrift shop but he never revealed that to anyone.  
"So I guess I should have asked sooner...why are you here, Teisel?" he asked starring down at the garden. His advisors sat on wooden benches, engaged in their own conversation, taking in the bright sunny afternoon day. Teisel tensed up slightly, almost expecting Arik to be somewhat upset at his reply.  
"I'm kind of in trouble" Teisel responded.  
Arik didn't turn around. He listened while keeping his gaze outside the window.  
"What kind of trouble?"  
"Well...I sort of did my pirate thing on Kattelox Island. Needless to say we're...I'm wanted"  
"We?" Arik asked.  
"I meant me. No one else was involved" Teisel fabricated.  
"I know that sister of yours is part of your pirate operations. Same with that mechanical brother of yours" he told Teisel.  
Teisel was shocked. Arik already had background information on him and he had no idea how. Still he hoped he could get what he was about to ask for.  
"Ok fine. I was wondering if you could stop the police from arresting us"  
Arik let out a long breath. He hated being in dilemmas.  
"Teisel, you want me to allow you to be pirates within the country I run without impunity?" he sounded a bit upset.  
"Not exactly...I just want to keep Tron and Bon Bonne out of what's already happened"  
Arik only turned his head around.  
"You should have thought of that before you attacked Kattelox, Teisel"  
"Arik! Don't forget! You owe me! Look at me! My hair, my eyes, this was the result of me being your damn scapegoat! You better do something about this!"  
Arik was not one to be yelled at but Teisel had a good point.  
"It's ironic that I go from a political activist who killed people on the side to the leader of a nation that other countries on this planet want to eliminate. I even vowed to put a stop to air pirates. You heard me right. And now I'm faced with a situation I can't ignore. You're right Teisel. I do owe you"  
Arik returned to the table but remained standing.  
"Just this once, I will let you off the chain. If I were you, I would try not to get caught should you go back into piracy which you and I know you're going to do. If you do I will try my best to make sure the pigs go easy on you but I can't make any guarantees"  
"Just once? I was imprisoned for a long time! Tron was even molested at the daycare center that she was taken to after my parents died! Can't you do anything better?"  
Arik pounded the table hard.  
"Teisel! I can't allow you to rob people in my nation! I've got enough to worry about with the current crook we're after! Can't you just...I don't know...take a break?"  
Teisel wanted to retort back in the same manner but the thought of a break sounded like an excellent idea.  
"Are you sure the reason you became...a good guy...was because of me? I get this feeling that there's more to the story" Teisel said.  
"I forgot how quickly you pick up on things. Okay fine. My wife was the other aspect influencing my decision to become chairman." he stated.  
"Wife?!" Teisel hadn't anticipated this response.  
Arik sat back down. He poured himself another small glass of bourbon.  
"Face it, Teisel. It's hard to play the corrupt government official when you have more important things to concern yourself with"  
"But you were so dead set on your work with the air pirates! I'm surprised you even considered settling down. What happened?"  
Arik gazed into the green armored air pirate's eye, savoring the moment.  
"There were several agencies working to help make this government we have today. She happened to be working for one of them. The difference between us is that they were against the air pirates that were around at the time while I used them to do our dirty work. As luck would have it we met at a sting. There were 5 of them and 6 of us. Everyone on both sides ended up mortally wounded except us...at least for the moment. With a sleeper dart in my hand and a K-Bar knife in hers we swung simultaneously. Both points found their mark"  
Arik pulled up his sleeve revealing the scar that was left from the wound that was inflicted in his right forearm. The massive blade had gone right between his radius and ulna and out the other side.  
"As painful as that was, I think she got it worse. My biggest fear was that I administered too much of the tranquillizer. She didn't wake up until 2 days later to my relief. I was ordered to bring her to our base of operations for questioning but I knew they would eventually execute her so I took her to a bunker not on any map to keep her safe. I told them she died from an overdose which, to my surprise, they believed"  
"And that was that? That seems too easy" Teisel said.  
"Don't get me wrong. When she woke up, she was slightly pissed off and that's putting it nicely. I won't go into full detail but things worked out for the better and..."  
He raised both of his hands in the air, gesturing the entire room around him.  
"...here we are. That's my story in a nutshell. Any loose ends, just ask me about later"  
"So...I'm off the hook then right? For this one time?"  
"Yes, Teisel. Don't worry about it. I'll always have your back no matter what. I owe you big time, buddy"  
Robert returned with the tea.  
"Just place it on my desk please and thank you, Mr. Light. You can take the rest of the hour off. Just be back here at 4:30 for guitar lessons"  
"Yes, Chairman Drop" he responded with a bow of respect then left through the same doors as Teisel came through.  
"Enough about my boring life...what's new with you? And I better not get a bland reply! It's been 17 years!" Arik bantered.  
"Well you already know what happened after you left the mansion that night. After I picked up Tron we had to stay with a few trusted people that would never reveal our whereabouts. It was during that time, Tron began to show her engineering prowess. That's when I got the idea to become an air pirate. Eventually our flying home was built and after the defeat of one giant reaverbot we continue to do what we do best"  
"Whoa, wait a second...what giant reaverbot?" Arik asked as if something was off.  
"The Colossus? Remember that?"  
Arik nodded.  
"That was us"  
His eyes almost grew outside his head.  
"Bullshit!"  
"Should a chairman really be talking like that?"  
"You mean to tell me that you and your sister and younger brother were the ones that took down Loathe all those months ago?!" he was standing up again.  
"I thought everyone knew that. There was even a celebration on Ryship 4 days afterwards"  
"We've been trying to take him to prison for life but we never had enough evidence against him. How fitting he goes down with his machine in flames. Looks like I owe you even more!"  
"Just keep the police away from my family and officer Denise and we'll be even" Teisel requested.  
"You bet! Anything for...wait, officer Denise?"  
Teisel then thought that perhaps he should have kept her under wraps.  
"As in Denise Marmalade, Teisel?"  
"Err...yes?" came his reply suggesting he was hiding something.  
"How do you know her? She was a recent hire out on Kattelox Island"  
"Just...one of the officers I met during our raid"  
"It's funny. We were warned of a very clumsy police officer from Ryship Island. Coincidentally enough, her name was also Denise. When we asked Ms. Marmalade about this she said she didn't know who she was and she also kept insisting vigorously that it wasn't her. After we tested her in the training facility she proved to be at the top, well above the other trainees so we quickly hired her"  
Teisel fought hard to keep a smile from breaking out. Denise had trained with the Bonnes well before trying to get a job on Kattelox Island Police Department. Arik studied Teisel's face.  
"You're holding something back. What is it?"  
Teisel shuttered.  
"N-nothing! I just know officer Denise. Nothing else!"  
"Teisel!"  
"I said I know nothing!" Teisel stood up and slammed his fists into the table, bent on keeping his secret from the chairman.  
"Whoa, buddy calm down! I was just playing" he waved both hands in front of him as if he was surrendering.  
"I believe you. I just like to get people riled up. I'm glad you're doing fine but I should get back to work here. Feel free to stop by anytime" the chairman said.  
"There's one thing I want to know from you now...right before you said I should take a break you mentioned a crook you were currently after. Since I'm kind of in that business I would like to know who you're talking about"  
Arik reached into his wooden desk and pulled out a wanted flyer. On it was a person with the face covered in a beige bandana up to the eyes and wore a blue bandana on the head. The blue bandana had a poorly drawn frowning face with X's for eyes and what looked like stitches on the lips.  
"Wow. I've never seen a wanted poster in color"  
"We don't know much about him. The name he goes by is Sky Pirate Dash. He's responsible for several robberies on most of the islands in the UIF, though most of them were carried out very poorly and much of the stolen loot was dropped or used as projectiles to try and keep the police at bay. On several occasions he would set donut traps to cover his escape which actually worked. I really thought that it was just a stereotype but the cops around here really do fulfill the police and donut relationship. Oh and get this. There's a strange rumor that he runs around with a living street cone"  
"Street cone?" Teisel replied.  
"Yup. I don't know about you but that's just retarded. I've heard many strange tales since becoming chairman but come on...a street cone? Give me a break" he put the wanted poster away.  
"So what do you want me to do about it Arik?"  
"Just keep an eye out for things. Any sign of Dash, you let me know"  
"But Dash is just committing misdemeanors. Aren't there worse things for the chairman of UIF to worry about?"  
"Teisel, Dash has been a thorn in my side for a long time. Sure the crimes aren't too serious but not a single damn cop has caught him and there have been far too many attempts. He might be committing small acts of theft now but that could escalate into something more serious. Since I'm helping you, I want you to help me? Got it?"  
Teisel nodded in agreement. Both men shook hands firmly.  
"It was nice seeing you again. It's strange being friends with an air pirate who's still in the business but that's politics for you. No one is ever one hundred percent clean" the chairman said watching his old friend walk out.  
"Just don't do anything to hurt your own people" was all Teisel said before disappearing.  
Teisel and his family are back in the business. Kattelox remains a place of interest for the Bonne Family air pirates in both its riches and secrets that will be revealed against everybody's will. The past will come to haunt the present. Fires will burn. Punches will be thrown. Guns will be shot. You know the drill! This is the Bonne Legends!

 **For the record, this story is actually finished! It's been completed for a few years (11 chapters total and 2 bonus chapters) but I never bothered putting it on Fanfiction. If anyone shows interest, I'll go ahead and add the rest of the story :)**


	2. Beware of Owner

"D-D-DENISE!" her mother embraced her only remaining daughter with the force of a bear about to maul an Eskimo.  
Ms. Marmalade was the happiest woman on the planet when she opened the front door to find Denise standing their in her police uniform. Denise was almost a complete doppelganger of her mother whose only distinguishing features were her older age and hazel eyes. Ms. Marmalade resided in a small rural area outside Gold City where Denise had lived until the events that unfolded with Tron and the Gustaff. When Denise hadn't come home that night her mother contacted the Ryship Police Department who told her Denise was most likely running late because it was typical of her. Denise being fired was never mentioned. When Denise still hadn't come home she filed a missing person report but Denise called 4 days after she went missing to her mother's relief. Since that time she had called on a few other occasions but it wouldn't be until several months later when she finally returned to see her mother at her cottage home. The corn stalks were getting taller in the backyard.  
"Hey mom" she tried to breathe.  
"Denise! Oh my baby has come home! I missed you!" Ms. Marmalade wailed, tears streaming down her face.  
"I missed you too mom" she still had trouble breathing within her mother's crushing hug.  
"Why didn't you call me, Denise!?"  
"What?! Mom! I called at least 5 times since I was gone!"  
"You…oh wait you did…then why didn't you come home?!" she finally released her daughter.  
"I'm staying with a few friends I know" Denise replied.  
"Friends? I didn't know you had…"  
"Mom! Not now!" she groaned, irritated.  
Eventually both women went inside. Denise sat in a blue recliner in the family room while her mother went to fill up two cups with grape juice. Denise looked around on the white wall, looking at all of the family photographs. Everything from baby pictures to her high school graduation and graduating from the police academy; they were all there. Next to those were the photos of her older sister, Liz, also the same pattern. There was only one picture of her father, hanging over the fireplace. It was a family photograph taken when the Marmalade sisters were teens. Everyone was smiling except their father whose face was stern; eyes that read 'mess with me and you're dead.' He was a hardened police officer and the two sisters followed in their father's footsteps. Sadly, Mr. Marmalade and Liz both met their demise on duty. It was devastating for Denise and her mother but both remained strong and moved on. Denise's mother came back with the beverages and sat in an identical recliner just a few feet from Denise, giving one of the green cups to her daughter.  
"It feels like it's been a decade, dear"  
"It has been a while. Again, sorry for not coming home" Denise replied.  
"So who are these friends you're staying with?"  
Denise thought quickly. Revealing to her mother where she was actually staying might have given her a heart attack.  
"Just people I know, mom" she said with a nervous smile.  
Ms. Marmalade raised an eyebrow. It wasn't like Denise to hide anything. She was the better behaved one of the two sisters.  
"If you don't want to reveal that then I guess it's alright. You were always a good girl, Denise"  
Ms. Marmalade looked up at Liz's photographs, reminiscing her childhood.  
"And of course with a good girl comes one that…well…just a bit different"  
She let out a sigh then stayed silent for a moment, remembering Liz and Mr. Marmalade.  
"I sure do miss them. At least they died honorably, doing what they loved to do" she said with a weak smile.  
"I miss them too, mom. The only thing we can do now is enjoy each other's company as well as the time we have left"  
Ms. Marmalade turned her head back towards her daughter.  
"You're certainly right. You know, that's deep, even for you, Denise"  
"Well, since I've been gone, I've been to a few places and in certain situations where I realize that time is short. There also seem to be no shortage of people who want to ruin that time for everyone else"  
"Speaking of which, did you hear about that giant machine that was going to attack Ryship Island a few months ago…what was the name…I think the news called it the 'Colossus.' We're you around for that?"  
"I…heard about that" Denise replied.  
"Everyone here in the neighborhood went to the celebration that was held for the heroes that defeated that man, Lex Loathe. I stayed home and watched it on the news. Rumor has it though that those same heroes were the ones who raided Kattelox Island a few days ago"  
That thought made Denise cringe a bit, rubbing her forehead.  
"Those idiots!" she thought to herself.  
"Is something bothering you, Denise?"  
"Just had a flash headache, that's all" she said with eyes closed.  
"Are you planning on staying here again?" her mother asked.  
"Well, no offense to you mom but don't you think it's time I finally move out? I mean I'm 25, almost going to be 26 soon. I know you worry about me because I'm the only family you have left but don't worry. The people I'm staying with are taking great care of me and we get along great for the most part"  
"Is it someone from the police, dear?"  
"Umm…no. Just…"  
Denise felt bad for hiding the truth. She didn't want her mother to think of her negatively. Not after she lost her husband and one of her daughters. She breathed deeply.  
"Mom…"  
"Yes Denise? Dear are you sure you're alright? You sound like something is wrong suddenly" she spoke with concern.  
"What I'm about to tell you may be a bit hard to hear. Please don't think of me less"  
Ms. Marmalade sat straight up in her chair, listening carefully.  
"The day I disappeared, it was because of an attack. I was sent to apprehend someone who was part of an air pirate family; the very same ones that took down Lex Loathe. She defeated me and sent me into the sea"  
Her mother jumped a bit out of her seat when she heard but she kept listening.  
"Unknown to her, I survived and snuck my way into their base of operations. Enraged by my defeat and humiliating myself, I actually attempted to kill her. I'm not talking about hurting her. I tried taking her life. Never in my life had I ever had such a feeling. It scared me but at the same time it felt amazing. It was like unlocking a side of me I never knew I had"  
To Denise's surprise her mother was calm and her facial expression had not hinted of any shock or disappointment.  
"But she ended up kicking my butt. After everything that had happened, she felt bad for me especially for almost killing me on Ryship. So her family decided to allow me to stay"  
"You've been living with air pirates?"  
"…yes. I know it's hard to take in but...they're the nicest people I know mom. Even the officers at work never treated me with such respect. Most of the men on the force were a bunch of perverted…assholes! I couldn't stand being in the office with them. One even grabbed my butt! These air pirates…The Bonnes…I've never been so happy living outside this home. The oldest brother is such a gentleman and not once has he done anything perverted"  
"It sounds like you have a thing for this pirate brother"  
"Oh…uhh…no I'm just stating facts, mom"  
Denise was not going to tell her the truth about Teisel; at least not yet. She looked down at the floor almost in shame.  
"I'm sorry mom. I hope you're not too upset with me"  
Her mother sat in her thoughts for a moment. This was the last thing she ever thought she would hear from Denise. A police woman living among the very people she was supposed to be sending to prison. Yet she couldn't find a reason to be upset.  
"Dear…I'm happy for you"  
"W-what? Really?"  
"Yes. I can't really tell you how to live your life but from what you've told me you've done nothing wrong. You're happy, you're living life, you're supporting yourself, and you've found people who, according to your wording, have taken you into their family…even if they are air pirates. I'm not sure how your father or sister would feel about this but I'm not them. You've done well Denise. That and you're a hero. My own daughter saving Ryship Island from a megalomaniac loan shark; how can I be upset?"  
Denise was speechless. Her mother just approved of the life she was living instead of condemning it. She felt as if a weight was lifted from her chest.  
"M-Mom! I don't know what to say. This wasn't exactly what I expected"  
Her mother just chuckled.  
"Well, this isn't what I expected either but I'm quite pleased with the outcome of you being gone so long. I'm by no means upset and I think we should celebrate you coming home. In fact, I think lunch is ready!"  
She got up to grab the meal from the kitchen. Denise watched curiously wondering what her mother made. She soon walked back with something yellow, steaming from a platter.  
"I made your favorite…corn on the cob!"  
Denise widened her gaze at the sight of the corn.  
"Yeah…my favorite…" she mumbled but smiled.

The Trembling Islands; an archipelago of volcanically active islands stretching a few hundred miles located just outside the border of the UIF. The only sign of human existence was an abandoned military base on the only island without a volcano. After the Gesellschaft was repaired, Teisel discovered the base a few days later. Deciding that making a stationary home would be a good investment, Teisel used the remaining money he borrowed from Loathe to convert the base into their second home with the agreement of Tron, Bon Bonne, and Denise. It only took a week to turn a run down base, complete with foliage and abandoned vehicles, into a comfortable living environment complete with all typical home amenities plus an old submarine hangar which was converted into the Gesellschaft's maintenance facility. The base itself was more of a fortress. At all 4 corners of the 8 foot walls surrounding the base were watch towers that had been set with automatic defense guns for anyone uninvited to the base. Externally, the base appeared uninviting for curious onlookers but the inside told a much different story. This clever ruse was just what the Bonnes needed to finally have a getaway home set on an island chain that only people with sanity issues would dare tread. A few hundred yards from the fortress wall was a white sandy beach stretching for miles around the island. A purple canopy set up like a roof with the Bonne symbol on the top was set up near the water. On a beach towel laid out on the sand next to the canopy, Tron sunbathed in her black bikini. She wore black shades. This was the life. A nemesis defeated, a brand new home, and with so much stolen loot, the Bonnes could declare themselves millionaires. Next to Tron was a spike in the ground with a chain attached. The chain led into the canopy tent.  
"Megaman! What's taking that lemonade so long?!" she barked still lying down with eyes closed.  
Out from the tent, Megaman Volnutt, wearing a spiked collar with the chain attached to it, nervously walked out with Tron's lemonade. Since the parade, Tron had taken him into the Bonne home only to be used as another servebot or so she claims. He wore blue swimtrunks.  
"Sorry, Tron" he replied.  
"That's Miss Tron to you! Now hurry, up with that drink!"  
"Why are you doing this to me? I'm a person, not a servebot" he pleaded.  
"Because…I…you have no authority to ask questions! Drink now!"  
Since Tron never had any experience with the opposite sex prior to Megaman, she believed that binding him in chains and making him her servebot was a way of expressing her liking towards him.  
"About time! Now go back in the tent until I need you again!" she ordered.  
Taking a sip of her drink she placed herself back on the beach towel, taking in the sun. A smile slowly crept on her face as she listened to the sound of the waves. Ah, bliss. For the next half hour she relaxed, alternating sides every couple of minutes to prevent sunburn. Nothing could ruin this moment…except the sound of an approaching jet engine. The waves mixed with the sound so Tron hadn't noticed yet until the sound was almost overhead. Opening her eyes, she looked through her shades, watching a hovering yellow craft up above.  
"Who the hell is that?" she covered her eyes a bit as the jet blast blew sand in all directions.  
The craft landed several yards away. Megaman looked out, recognizing the vehicle immediately and to his relief.  
With the engines still on, a door opened and a young girl with an enormous red baseball cap jumped down.  
"Roll!" Megaman called out.  
The blonde girl didn't reply at first but locked eyes with Tron's. If looks could kill, Tron would be dead a thousand times over. She slowly made her way towards Tron.  
"Excuse me!? What are you doing on our island!? This is private property and you just ruined my sunbathing!"  
Without making a single response she casually walked ever closer to Tron.  
"Oh what? Cat have your tongue? Say something!"  
Still no response from the blonde girl on a mission.  
"Grrr…FINE! You wanna throw down?! I've got one cop under my belt already so a common bitch like yourself won't even stand a chance against me!"  
She finally stopped 3 feet in front of Tron, both hands on her hips. They both stayed silent in this standoff. Megaman watched, wondering why the blonde girl hadn't said anything.  
"Any last words before I beat your ass into the sand!?" Tron asked as she cracked her knuckles.  
Those would be Tron's last words before the morning was over. She froze as a large metal object was now pressed into her hairdo. The kinetic transfer from a massive wrench that appeared from an unknown bodily orifice from the blonde girl found its mark right on Tron's noggin. Tron's eyes stayed open for a few more seconds then rolled into the back of her head. Taking the wrench off of her head, the blonde smiled as she watched Tron fall face first into the sand.  
"R-Roll?" Megaman was shocked that the girl went to such measures to rescue him.  
"Megaman, what did that crazy slut do to you?!" Roll sounded like she was being chased by a lion as she ran to unbind Megaman.  
"She made me her servant, but why did you do that, Roll? You didn't have to be that harsh on Tron" he waited to be untied.  
"Megaman, she made you a servant against your will and then to add insult to injury she made you wear this spiky collar like you were some animal! If that's not demoralizing and downright humiliating then I don't know what is!" she finally took the collar off.  
Megaman was freed.  
"Now let's get back to the Flutter and get out of here before she wakes up. I have a feeling that her anger will be similar to that of the most violent storm when she discovers that you're gone" Roll said.  
Megaman looked back at Tron, knocked out and face down in the sand. He felt bad but at the same time he was glad he was free again. Wasting no time, Roll piloted the Flutter upwards then back towards the direction of Kattelox Island.

At the capital building, Chairman Drop met with two of his defense ministers. After much debating and reasoning, Arik began to lean more towards improving the UIF's current defenses and even adding to them.  
"How long until we can have them?" he asked.  
"On your orders we can have everything done within a week or less. Though the other project might take longer, sir"  
Arik thought hard. Adding to the defense could stir up concern as it would not go unnoticed by the citizens of the UIF. Pressure was mounting and a decision had to be made.  
"Why is there so much animosity between UIF and Sedaris Island?" the Chairman pondered out loud.  
"Because they want our refractor enrichment facilities. They are unique to the UIF only"  
"So allow them to use our ideas! I didn't become leader to horde everything for our nation only! If we can help others then by all means we're going to!" the Chairman was getting upset.  
"You don't understand sir! Look at their history! War after war after war! If Sedaris Island gets a hold of any plans for our enrichment facilities they can easily use that to create weapons then use them against us! We cannot allow the technology outside of UIF borders!" the defense minister advised.  
Arik closed his eyes. He was always willing to help other nations in need but Sedaris Island had been a threat to UIF even before it became a nation.  
"Ok. I give you my permission. I want all aircraft carriers deployed but distribute them evenly around the border areas incase anyone tries to make a sneak attack. What about Project Juno?"  
"We think we may have found the ruin containing the artifact. Once we have it, we can defend ourselves without the use for our current naval and air fleet"  
"What?! What the hell kind of weapon are we talking about!?" Arik shouted.  
Both defense ministers looked at each other then one spoke.  
"Reinitialization, sir"  
"…are you out of your minds?! That will wipe out millions of people! Do you think I want that much bloodshed on my hands because one island is giving us shit for not sharing a few blueprints?!" he kept slamming his fists into the table.  
"It's either that or they have agents take it right from underneath us and next thing you know we're under attack. Project Juno is a last ditch effort incase they fire on us. We use it as a warning, helping them dissuade from using our own work against us and if that doesn't work…they have to go"  
Arik was almost growling. He hated the idea entirely. The glass cup in his hands was suddenly crushed from the pressure of him holding too tightly from his anger.  
"Sir, we know you don't like the idea but we have to protect our people. This is politics and…."  
"This isn't politics…THIS IS FUCKING GENOCIDE! Project Juno is to be discontinued immediately! Anyone who attempts otherwise will be executed by me personally! Now get the hell out! Both of you!" he pointed his finger at the door.  
Both men sneered at him then stood up and left. Once the door closed it was quiet. Arik was breathing heavily from being upset. He closed his eyes again and rubbed his hands through his black hair a few times.  
"Sir?" a voice uttered from another door to his right, grabbing his attention.  
"Oh, hi Robert"  
"Are you okay? I heard you yelling"  
He grunted thinking about the proposition a few minutes ago.  
"No I'm not okay. Have a seat, Robert" he gestured to a black leather office chair to his right.  
Robert sat down and listened, a bit nervous.  
"It's okay Robert. It's nothing you did. Those two men that were here earlier wanted me to authorize a weapon that could kill many innocent people. I'm a bit crazy but I'm by no means a tyrant. I cannot allow for something like that to be built, let alone used by our own country when we're trying to be a peaceful nation"  
"What happens now? They were right in stating that Sedaris Island is a looming threat" Robert said.  
"Believe me I'm not overlooking that but right now the best thing to do is to flex our military muscle and hope we can kill the flame that is the animosity between us and Sedaris Island. I really don't want to have to deploy our fighters but if they were to attack I would have no choice. I tried putting my guns down a while ago, Robert but over and over I'm finding myself always having to defuse a situation with violence. I've killed many people and I never thought I would regret it. It's the worse feeling of all. Working under Jethro, I realized that the government he wanted to create would put too much power over the people. Before he died, he wanted me to continue what he started but I decided to take the better path and create the nation you see today. If he was in power he would use Reinitialization as an offensive weapon to take over this planet. Man should never have access to that much power. I want you to understand that. One day when you're Chairman, I want you to continue the type of government I'm running. Never let power get to your head and always make decisions that help both the people in your nation and the ones outside of it"  
"Yes sir" Robert replied.  
"It's getting a bit late in the day and after that meeting I'm in no mood to spar with you for your self defense lessons. I'm afraid I might hurt you seriously. Take the rest of the day off, Mr. Light. I hope I didn't frighten you after that meeting. I'm afraid I have a short fuse"  
"It's okay, Chairman. You were doing what you had to do. Sometimes anger is the best way to get the message across. I mean they kept insisting until you broke your glass cup right in your hand. Then they knew you were serious. And by the way, how are you not bleeding from your hand?"  
Arik now looked at his hand which hurt slightly but was not cut.  
"I'm…not sure. I guess I'm lucky. And speaking of lucky, I have a wife waiting for me at home so get out of here, kiddo"  
"Heh, okay sir. Have a good rest of the day"  
"You too, Robert"

In one of the several living rooms in the fortress, Teisel read the newspaper which he picked up on the way home from making a refractor exchange. The headlines read "Heroes of Ryship are Rumored to be Pirates."  
"It's only a rumor and it makes it on the front page? Don't these clowns have anything better to do?" he talked to himself.  
The red capped servebot, number 23, found Teisel and walked to him.  
"Hello Master Teisel"  
"Hey 23. Did you need something?"  
"Have you seen Miss Tron?"  
"Umm…no actually. Last I heard she was taking her…new servebot as she called him to the beach. I don't think she quite understands the concept of how to properly treat someone you like"  
"Shouldn't you have said something?"  
"Well, sometimes it's best for her to figure things out on her own"  
"FFFFFFFFFFUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUU….!" a loud female swear came from the main entrance.  
Teisel and Servebot 23 both looked at each other, shaking a bit.  
"…like right now" Teisel finished.  
"I have a feeling this has to do with her new servebot" number 23 said.  
"That makes two of us. I really need to monitor the games she plays and television she watches. Her swearing is starting to irritate me!" Teisel moped.  
The door to the living section of the fortress was slammed shut so hard the walls shook inside the family room. Heavy footsteps shook the ground as a certain female air pirate raged her way to the living room. She wasn't even wearing shoes. Tron was fuming mad to the point where any moisture that came in contact with her skin would evaporate instantly. Still in her bikini she stood next to Teisel. Servebot 23 cowered in fear behind loveseat, waiting for what Tron had to say. Teisel was worried deep down inside but showed no fear.  
"We have a new enemy!" Tron said.  
"And that is?" Teisel asked.  
"Some dumb blonde bitch WHO STOLE MY SERVEBOT! UGH!" she fumed then was pulling at her hair.  
"Tron calm down! There's no need for this type of anger! Besides you had him in chains and a spiky collar! I felt bad for the kid!" he explained.  
"That's what you're supposed to do isn't it?!"  
"What?! Ok, Tron, where are you learning how to deal with the opposite sex?" Teisel had to ask.  
"Just…stuff I've seen on the television" was Tron's response.  
Teisel slammed both of his hands into his face. Needless to say, he didn't like that reply.  
"The television!? Tron, only a fool would believe anything they see from the television! Their job is to show people what they think they want and in the end all they get is a paycheck! They don't care what happens to you!"  
"Then…I don't know what to do!" she grunted.  
"First off, go put on some clothes. Then come back here and we'll have a little sibling talk. 23, go somewhere else for a while"  
"Yes, Master Teisel"  
With her hair in a ponytail, which was rare, Tron returned in her usual attire. She brought her a can of soda and took her seat next to her brother who was still reading the paper.  
"Ok, now what did you want to talk about?" she started tapping her fingers on the table.  
He closed the paper and crossed his arms, readying himself for a brother to sister talk.  
"Tron, why did you even bring that…blue boy…back here?"  
"Wha…I don't know! I thought he was cute so I kidnapped him"  
"You're not supposed to kidnap people, Tron. I mean we may be pirates but even I wouldn't stoop that low"  
"Then what should I have done?" she asked.  
"Well, when you meet someone you like you talk for a while, maybe even get a phone number. Can you take a guess as to what you should do afterwards?"  
"Umm…use the Bonne Bitch Slap on them so you can knock them out then make them your servebot?"  
"NO! Tron! You almost killed Denise with that! Why would you use that on anyone else?"  
"Because Denise was dumb enough to be standing next to a cliff. If you stay away from drop-offs in excess of 100 feet or more I think you'll be fine!"  
"Tron, no hitting anyone! No pain inflicting, no kidnapping, nothing like that at all!"  
"Fine. What then?"  
"You just need to approach it normally"  
"Normally? How? I never grew up with mom and dad so how do you expect me to be normal?"  
"…good point"  
"Teisel, I'm beginning to get the feeling that maybe I'm just doomed to being a lone loser for a long time…maybe forever" she sounded a bit depressed.  
"Now Tron, that kind of though process will end up making you alone. You need to be patient. Eventually the right person comes along when you least expect it. I mean take Denise and I for example…it all started when…"  
"HEY! WHAT DO YOU MEAN DENISE AND YOU!?" Tron shouted.  
"Uhh…"  
"Teisel, what did she do to you!?"  
"Tron, she didn't do anything…I thought you knew that…"  
"If she lays one finger on you I'll…well truth be told I don't think I'll do much of anything…but I'll be really pissed off!"  
"Now wait just a minute, Tron! What's the problem here?"  
"It's Denise! She's a police officer and still my rival! You two didn't do anything did you?"  
Teisel stared blankly at his sister. He was irritated and surprised at the same time that Tron still hadn't caught on to his relationship with Denise.  
"Tron…we're seeing each other…as in dating" he said nonchalantly.  
"WHAT!? TEISEL!"  
"I don't know why it hasn't registered to you Tron but we've been in a relationship for a little while now"  
Tron's anger was boiling hotter. Her face started to shake.  
"Tron I'm warning you now. Nothing you say or do is gonna change my mind. I still don't understand your anger towards Denise"  
She tried calming herself down.  
"Teisel…why? Why her?"  
"Why not?"  
"What kind of a reply is that? I asked first! Why her?"  
"We just clicked. I can't really explain it. The best part about it was I didn't like her in the beginning. A cop who tried to kill my sister then became part of our family against my own will. Tron I will say, the Bonne Bitch Slap may have been the best idea you've come up with ever" he said with a smile.  
Tron's face started to soften up.  
"It's hard to argue with someone with a smile as big as yours right now. I can't say I'm not upset still but I see your happiness and because of that I guess it's okay for you two to see each other"  
"You guess?"  
"Yes, guess. I'm still gonna give you two crap about this so watch out" she replied smugly.  
"Fantastic. But seriously Tron, I thought that you knew about us already"  
"I thought that night I found you two on the couch was just because she was really tired and fell asleep in your arms"  
"That's exactly what happened actually"  
"This is kind of confusing. Perhaps a sign I still have some growing up to do"  
"Like I said, be patient. That's about the best advice I can give you, Tron"  
"Thanks…and I'll be watching you…both of you" she stood up.  
"Never a dull moment in this house. Try not to vex us too much okay, Tron?"  
"And one other thing. If she does anything to hurt you so help me I'm gonna finish what I started on Ryship Island!" she shook her fist in the air.  
"Tron, that's okay! I don't think she's one of the common type"  
"She better not be!" she replied walking away.  
"Even though I told you to leave, you can come out now, 23" Teisel said.  
"Well that's good right? Miss Tron approves of Denise, Master Teisel?"  
"I'm not sure that 'approve' is the correct term. But this is still better than Tron showing contempt for our relationship. I wonder what the conversation at dinner tonight is going to be like."  
After spending several hours with her mother, Denise returned to the fortress. A small hangar door opened from a rooftop as she carefully guided the Drache down safely into a vacant spot. Unknown to her, Tron was waiting, leaning against the entrance with her arms crossed. With a smile Denise hopped out, very pleased with the outcome of her day. Her smile went away when Tron was a few feet in front of her.  
"Oh...is something wrong, Tron?"  
"I know about you and Teisel" she said rather quietly.  
Denise looked around confused.  
"Tron, I thought you already knew"  
"That's what Teisel said. It was a misunderstanding when I saw you two that of the celebration"  
"Okay, so why don't you like the idea of us together?"  
"I didn't like it because you and I are still rivals. I didn't think that allowing you to stay would ever lead to this. I'll admit I was pretty pissed when Teisel broke the news but he convinced me otherwise for the most part"  
"That's…good" Denise replied.  
"Well since I asked him, now I'll ask you...why him?"  
"Why him?" Denise smiled as she began thinking.  
"Do you have several hours, Tron?"  
"Several…what? It's just Teisel!"  
"Just Teisel? You have no idea! But that's probably a good thing"  
Tron squinted her eyes a bit, unsure about what Denise meant by that.  
"Wait a second…where's your 'new' servebot?" Denise noticed that Megaman wasn't tied up next to Tron.  
"We're not talking about it. All I'm going to say is that he's gone"  
"I would have loved to have heard about that but if you don't want to talk about it then that's fine" Denise said.  
"You smell like corn" Tron said as she sniffed the air.  
"Yeah, that's my mom. Corn everything. But after not having it for a few months it wasn't bad today"  
Both girls began walking deeper into the fort.  
"If I may ask, how did the topic of Teisel and I come up?"  
"Well Teisel wanted to talk to me about dating because apparently what I was doing Megaman wasn't the preferred method. That led into him slipping out information about you both and I retorted rather quickly, wondering what on Terra he was doing with you"  
"It's not like we're dealing drugs, Tron. Besides, I don't think I could have found a better guy. When one of your male co-workers grabs your ass while you're trying to pick up your paperwork that fell off your desk but a pirate, of all people, won't even touch…he wouldn't even think about touching me like that…that really says something. And he does it out of his good heart. A pirate with a good heart! You can get upset that I'm dating your goofball brother but know this: he's a rare find in this crappy world of ours and I'm not about to give that up"  
At that moment Tron had a complete change of heart.  
"Maybe I shouldn't get upset. Teisel raised Bon Bonne and I once my parents passed away. He's always fought and still fights to make sure we live comfortably and he's never given less than 100 percent in everything he's done for us so it makes perfect sense that you would choose someone like him…you know what Denise…I'm happy for you…both of you"  
"That's the second time today someone has said that to me and both times have meant the world to me. Thanks, Tron" Denise said giving a hug to her rival.  
"Uhh…you're welcome…no touching" Tron said looking a bit weirded out.  
Denise let go.  
"Whatever" she still smiled.  
"So, are you sure you don't want to talk about how you lost Megaman?"  
"Denise, drop it!" Tron replied as they both disappeared behind a blast door.

Night had come to Kattelox Island. Most of the businesses were now closed and the neighborhoods uttered not one sound in their serenity. On a tall hill was a television station that had just closed for the night once the evening news was recorded for later that evening. A 75 foot red and white antenna stood next to the station. Halfway up, a figure covered in a blue digger's suit was hanging on to the side, observing the island like a pirate scanning the horizon from the crow's nest of a ship. His face was covered by a bandana…only the eyes were revealed. On his head was another bandana with a frowning face. He looked in all directions. A light breeze started to blow.  
"Man, this place is still boring after all these years" he said to himself.  
"On top of that, after all these years one would think that I would be a better pirate. Where the hell did I go wrong?"  
Down below something moved. It was reddish-orange and resembled a street cone…actually….  
"Bleh!" it said.  
"Coney! Dammit, what the hell took you so long? Is it really that hard to steal some fried chicken?" he yelled from up above.  
"Bleh, bleh"  
"No, if I wanted it done faster…wait…maybe you're right…WHOA!"  
He lost his grip, falling about 15 feet before catching another part of the antenna.  
"Bleh bleh!"  
"I'm not a dumbass, although that was pretty stupid of me to lose my grip. Okay, I'm coming down. That food better be hot!"  
An hour went by. Every wall on the television station was now tagged with red spray-paint.  
"If this place still wasn't so boring I wouldn't have to tag random places to make it livelier" the digger said.  
"Bleh bleh bleh!"  
"Echelon Electronics has that? I think you just named our first store to visit. Of course this time try to make a larger escape hole this time, okay Coney?"  
"Bleh"  
"Hey, I'm not fat! This digger suit just makes me a bit bulky, that's all"  
Sky Pirate Dash was quite the headache for many police officers on various islands. A petty theft who couldn't be caught; a testament to the competency of the men and women of the force. Or maybe he was just that good. Truthfully if one were to ask he would tell you it was mostly luck. If Dash had actually held on to most of what he stole, early retirement may have already happened. But the story reveals a pirate who was almost as inept as the police trying to catch him. Then there was his assistant. No one on that planet could ever explain a living street cone. Dash didn't quite understand it either but he went along with it as it proved to be quite beneficial to have Coney around. His vocabulary was about as stark as the Nakai Desert but it was really all he needed. One word: "bleh" and Dash understood immediately was he was saying. It was uncertain if anyone else could understand the cone but since Dash and Coney never stuck around long enough to find out the enigma remained. The duo soon arrived outside the electronic store at a side door with a small window on it.  
"Okay, Coney, let's go over the checklist: flashlights?"  
"Bleh"  
"Glass cutters?"  
"Bleh"  
"Fiber wire to remove those annoying security devices on higher priced electronics?"  
"Bleh"  
"Donuts?"  
"B-Bleh bleh?"  
"Not for us, retard. For incase the pigs make the scene"  
"…bleh" he rolled his eyes.  
"Uzis?"  
"Bleh bleh bleh" Coney kind of chuckled nervously.  
"You only brought one?! Give it to me! You already have a cannon of your own!"  
Coney handed Dash the Uzi which he checked to make sure it was loaded. In a separate pouch he carried a few more magazines.  
"Ok, find the gearbox and cut the power. Make sure the silent alarms are deactivated as well"  
Coney disappeared behind the corner while Dash waited a few minutes, watching the interior lights. Then they shut off. Coney returned.  
"Let's get in and get out!" Dash kicked in the door.  
No alarms went off. So far the robbery was going without a hitch. Dash was walking fast, looking around for anything expensive. Coney tried to keep up.  
"Bleh?"  
"Umm…find me a music player with the largest amount of storage space. I'll be over in video games and flat screen televisions"  
Unknown to Dash, Coney was actually illiterate and couldn't distinguish numbers either. So when he got to the music players he just placed all of them into a canvas bag. Dash could sort them out later. In the same fashion, Dash placed as many video games as he could into a bag and somehow was able to fit in a 52 inch television screen as well. It only took 5 minutes but both crooks filled their bags completely. Then something caught Dash's eye. In the very center of the store a dome glass case covered something. With a flashlight in hand he took a closer look. It was a strange looking gun, not like one he had seen before. The price tag revealed a number so large it was most likely worth more than the entire building was worth. Dash hit the jackpot. Opening the case, he threw it to the side where it shattered on impact. He picked up the gun by placing his right hand into a slot like a doctor giving a prostate exam. It enveloped his entire forearm and had to of weighed at least 25 pounds. It resembled a portal gun from a certain computer game.  
"Hey Coney, come check his bad boy out!" Dash called to his somewhat sidekick.  
Struggling to drag the bag, he eventually made it over to Dash who pulled the trigger, thinking it was empty. A long white flame shot out the front, almost touching the ceiling. The entire store was illuminated by the brilliant light. Coney glared at Dash.  
"What? This thing is so cool! I might not even sell it!" he finally let go of the trigger.  
"Stop right there!" a voice said coming in from the same entrance as the duo.  
Dash dropped everything except the flamethrower aiming it at the newcomer wearing a darker blue digger's suit. There was something familiar about him.  
"Who the hell are you?" Dash asked, with finger on the trigger.  
"Stop this now and I'll let you two at least get away" Megaman said.  
"That's very nice of you but I didn't come here to leave empty handed. You're in the way. I suggest you move over before you get fried"  
Megaman readied his blaster.  
"Oh by the way, do you like…DONUTS!" Dash threw a jelly filled pastry at Megaman but he only followed it with his eyes as it hit him in the chest.  
"Sorry but jelly filled pastries aren't my thing…now get out of here"  
"Looks like were gonna have to get serious here. How about a BEAR CLAW!?" he shouted throwing something sharp.  
It found its mark right in Megaman's neck, almost entering his jugular. He quickly put both of his hands on the new wound and fell to the floor.  
"What the hell?! Coney! I said bear claws like the pastry, not an actual bear claw!" Dash yelled.  
Megaman started convulsing a bit on the floor, sounding like he was choking. It wasn't a good week for the blue bomber. First he was in captivity for more than a month and now he took a fingernail of a bear to the neck.  
"Shit shit shit! We have to do something, Coney…wait"  
Dash pulled out a red package with a white cross on it and tossed it next to Megaman who slowly grabbed on to it.  
"Use that medical kit, kid. There are bandages and antiseptic inside. You're on your own now. Let's get the hell out of here Coney!"  
Dragging their loot, both thieves made their getaway on foot until they found a delivery van, hotwired it, then drove into the night towards an unknown destination.  
"I'm just glad that didn't turn into an actual fire fight. Hand to hand I could have taken him but that blaster of his looked vicious" Dash spoke to Coney who sat in the passenger seat.  
"Bleh"  
"You're right. For once we actually got away with most of the loot! Most of that will sell for a decent price. Still not sure about that gun though. It's worth more than all the loot combined yet we can use a flamethrower in our small arsenal. But next time, Coney, get bear claws like the edible ones! The last thing I need is a murder record! We're just crooks who steal to survive, not assassins! I hope that kid will be okay. It looks like I barely missed his jugular vein so he'll be fine"  
Soon the van reached a stretch of highway in the middle of nowhere. Out in the distance the city lights painted the sky orange as Dash and Coney drove closer. They would reach the outskirts 30 minutes later.  
"Bleh bleh?"  
"First we'll find some place to crash for the night, then in the morning we'll sell our loot, get paid, then do it all again. Hopefully without interference next time"  
Just outside the city limits was a small inn. The van pulled in to the parking lot then stopped behind some shrubs to hide it from plain sight incase someone reported the stolen vehicle. From behind the inn, Dash scouted the windows until he came across a few that were slightly opened. One of them was vacant. Propping open the window, he climbed in to the vacant room where he would stay the night. Coney remained in the van as a security device. Thus the night ended for the strange duo of Dash and Coney. Tomorrow was going to be a big day. One that a few people never expected.


	3. Family Feud

Echelon Electronics the next day: almost the entire city's police force had surrounded the building; a huge waste of taxpayer dollars. Inside, Officer Denise, with a notepad in hand, listened to the store manager as he went over everything that was stolen from his store. With the entire video game section and music section gone, along with one massive flat screen television, there wasn't a whole lot of damage to the store other than a black scar on the blue ceiling from some flame source. The side door had been kicked down but physical damages were, again, minimal. The only pieces of evidence left behind were one jelly donut, an actual bear claw with blood on it, and cornbread recipe written on a sticky note.  
"I should have taken precautions! I never thought that thieves would attack our small town electronic shop!" the slightly heavier set manager said.  
"Sir, your presumptions aren't going to help us now. Do you know anyone who may have had some sort of grudge against you that might be responsible for the break in?" Denise asked.  
"No. I don't know that many people and the ones I do know aren't holding anything against me as far as I'm concerned" he explained.  
"Officer, can I have a word?" another female officer asked.  
"Excuse me sir, give me one second" Denise said then turned towards her comrade.  
"Denise, this is all the evidence we found" she presented each one in separate plastic bags.  
Denise looked at each one briefly until she saw the sticky note. It was a corn on the cob shaped note. She was quite surprised to see it.  
"Interesting, my mother uses the exact same sticky notes at home. I've never seen these sold outside of our small village before. I'm sure it's just a strange coincidence" Denise explained.  
"Get these to the lab and have them examined. I'll wrap things up here, Janet" Denise said then turned back to the manager.  
"Sir, do you have security cameras?"  
"Oh, yes I do. I forgot about those. They run on their own power if the lines are cut so the footage should be there" he led the way to his security office with Denise following.  
Inside they fast forwarded to the events that took place last night. Because it was dark when the robbery happened they couldn't quite see the perpetrator. Then a flame shot out in the center of the store almost blinding in the footage. They briefly saw someone in a blue digger's suit on the other end before the flame died down.  
"Wait, that gun was the most valuable item in my store! I didn't see that digger's welding torch when I came in this morning!" the manager panicked.  
"Let's just finish this footage then we'll worry about your torch" Denise was getting frustrated over the manager's impatience.  
It was dark for a few more minutes before the emergency lights finally went on. On the floor a digger was slowly standing back up. Wrapped around his neck was a bandage with a blood stain.  
"There! That must be the robber!" the manager yelled.  
Denise looked closer and couldn't believe what she saw.  
"Megaman? He robbed this store? That doesn't seem right" she rewound the tape to make sure she wasn't seeing things.  
"You've already seen the proof! He's responsible and I want him arrested!" the manager demanded.  
"We need to at least find him first. I have a feeling there's more to this than that video is telling us" Denise said.  
"But you saw…"  
"Enough! Let me do my job, please. We'll find the guilty person and bring them in, okay?"  
He said nothing more until there was a knock on the door.  
"Come in" he said.  
"Hey, look what we found in the bathroom" another officer was holding the digger's blowtorch.  
"My blowtorch! They didn't take it after all" he was quite pleased.  
"Umm, sir you do know that this blowtorch is illegal right?" the officer asked.  
"I have a special license" he tried to shoot back.  
"That doesn't matter. This was outlawed years ago due to many accidents in the ruins and you're selling it in a small electronics store of all places. We're going to have to confiscate this"  
"That's my most prized sale item you are taking!"  
"You're lucky we're not going to fine you, let alone arrest you for having this. Good day to you" the officer left with torch in hand.  
"When we have more leads we'll let you know" Denise said, taking the security tape with her.  
At a shopping district known as the Apple Market, Megaman and Roll casually walked browsing the various stores looking for anything that tickled their fancies. "That neck wound looks pretty bad, Megaman. Are you sure that you want to be here today? You should be resting if anything" Roll suggested.  
"I'm fine, Roll. A shot to the neck isn't going to keep me down. Besides, I don't want to miss the noon release of the new 'Lightspeed The Radioactive Anteater' comic"  
"Boys will be boys" Roll replied.  
After a few minutes of looking the two came within view of 4 police officers who approached them quickly.  
"Hello officers, can I help you with something?" Megaman asked.  
One of the officers showed him a photograph of Megaman in the electronic store.  
"Sir, there was a robbery last night at this store and you were the only person we know of that was there. I'm afraid you're under arrest"  
"Wait! I was stopping the robber from…" his testimony was cut short as he was handcuffed and quickly escorted away.  
"What are you doing!? Megaman wouldn't do anything like that!" Roll pleaded with another officer.  
"Madam, he's just going to be held for a few days. If we find evidence that it wasn't him you'll see him again soon"  
"But I'm telling you, he's innocent! That scar on his neck came from the asshole that stabbed him last night" Roll tried to push the officer out of the way but she pushed back harder.  
"Do not test me or I will put you on the list to get bitch slapped next! He's under arrest! End of story! Go home!" she yelled then walked away with the other officers. Roll watched as they took Megaman away. She started shaking in anger.  
"I bet that Tron has something to do with this!" she exclaimed.  
"Hey Coney! Wake up! You have to see this!" Dash sounded very excited.  
The living street cone came to life then looked at Dash with groggy eyes.  
"Look at the paper! That person I shanked last night was the famous digger Megaman and they blamed the robbery on him!" he yelled in joy inside the van.  
Coney was now wide awake after hearing this.  
"Bleh!"  
"I know right? At least that's one less charge for us to worry about among the other ten thousand it seems! And to celebrate I'm going to shoot off that flamethrower!"  
Dash searched for several minutes before coming up empty.  
"Coney, you did grab the torch after I dropped it to fight Megaman, right?"  
Coney look into his eyes with a concerned look, knowing full well what was about to happen since he did not grab the torch.  
"….bleh…"  
Inside the inn, several people were still asleep. None of them had requested a wake up call from the front desk which was too bad because they were about to get one. It sounded a bit like the following:  
"CONEY!"  
The entire building shook. Anyone who was asleep was wide awake.  
"You didn't pick it up!? That was so expensive and come to think of it, that torch was probably illegal which meant it would have had more value meaning that that we could have cashed in and gone on a vacation! Ugh! I can't believe this! We have to go back and get it!" he spoke rapidly.  
"Bleh!?"  
"Yes, we're leaving now! Back to that store! I don't care what time of day it is, I'm going to get that torch!" a determined Dash put the gas pedal all the way down as he broke the speed limit to get back to the small electronic store.  
An hour went by. The Echelon Electronics store manager finished cleaning up the small mess inside the store. He looked around at the barren video game and music section. He sighed but he knew it could have been much worse. Once all the police tape was gone, business hours resumed. A few customers shopped in his store while he took down some numbers behind a counter. A glint of light caught his eyes. He looked up and out of the store. In the distance, an approaching vehicle was on the highway. He looked back down as he had seen the same thing at least a hundred times a day. What he hadn't seen a hundred times a day was a gray delivery van crashing into the store at 80 miles an hour. The whole store shook as the van pressed its way through the front door and stopped as it ran over a vending machine. Glass and other fragments of the store spread in all directions. Dash threw the door open and faced the manager while holding an Uzi aimed at his face.  
"You! Where's the torch?!" she demanded.  
"It's been taken away by the police! Don't kill me!"  
"The cops!? SHIT! Dammit Coney!"  
The few customers inside ran out to safety.  
"You're lucky I don't want murder on my record, fatass!" Dash said before climbing back into the van.  
On the sidewalk a few blocks away, Denise walked towards the direction of the store. She had a few more questions she wanted to ask the store manager. She stopped when she noticed a gaping hole in the front of the store.  
"Oh no! An accident!" she blurted as she fumbled for her radio.  
She was about to make the call when the gray van backed up rapidly out of the store and into a light post which then fell on the van, disabling the engine and rendering it useless. A smoke cloud covered the area for a few seconds then cleared, allowing Denise to see again. Denise looked into the driver's side window and instantly recognized the driver.  
"Sky Pirate Dash!" she pulled out her pistol aiming at the crook.  
Dash looked out towards the officer. Rather than running, he stared at Denise like she was a ghost. Denise took note of this and stopped.  
"Oh my…that can't be her" Dash said quietly.  
"You scared? You should be! Come out with your hands up now!" Denise pressed.  
For some odd reason, Dash wanted to break down into tears but held back the urge. Coney carved a hole in the back side of the van and hopped out with Dash following soon after. Denise kept trying to call for back up but some sudden feeling she had disallowed her to do so.  
"This feels strange" she said, trying to make sure Dash didn't get away.  
Dash leaned against the side of the fan facing away from Denise.  
"That's her Coney! It has to be!" he said.  
"Bleh?"  
"Yes. That one! Okay we need a plan otherwise we could end up in the slammer today! I'm gonna run and you just stay still like most other cones do. When Denise gets far enough away you catch up and provide back up, got it?"  
"Bleh!"  
"Good. Here goes nothing!"  
Denise came a bit closer until she saw Dash making a break for it as she watched through the van windows.  
"Oh no you don't!" she shouted then ran.  
With a single leap, Denise cleared the van then continued the foot chase after Dash. With one eye opened, Coney watched and waited for Denise to get a bit further before he began his approach. Up ahead was a busy intersection but Dash kept his sprint. Running on to the road, several cars honked as they avoided him but Dash made it to the other side. Denise followed without losing any speed and also passed right through the intersection. Coney came to the intersection and stopped.  
"Bleh!" (Forget that shit!)  
Dash ran through several patios and a cemetery with Denise closing the gap.  
"She's changed! She was never able to keep up like this before" Dash thought as he ran.  
A massive junkyard was in front of the two. Dash thought it would have been the perfect place to hide. Quickly hoping a fence, he made his way up and over with Denise still in pursuit. Once Denise got to the top of the fence she lost sight of Dash but looked around. In the distance was a crane with a giant magnet, placing metal onto a conveyor belt then sending it into a crusher. With gun drawn, she leaped down onto her feet then looked around for Dash. She moved very slowly, looking for any sign of movement. Behind a pile of oil drums Dash waited for Denise to approach. With a crowbar in hand he swatted his hands a few times, waiting for Denise to come within range. He listened to the footsteps getting closer… and closer…and closer…and finally a swing! No one was there. Dash was confused. There were even footsteps that stopped right up to the pile of oil drums. On the back of his bandana covered head, he felt a gun barrel being pressed in.  
"This ends now, Dash" Denise said coldly.  
Dash stood for a moment. This wasn't the first time he was in this type of situation and had gotten out of them several times before. Thinking quickly he moved his head to the side then with his arm he back handed the gun out of Denise's grip. The gun landed in an empty drum. Now with crowbar in hand he swung at Denise who caught it with one hand then bent it like it was made of rubber.  
"What?!" Dash was shocked.  
"By the way, I flipped a tank once!" Denise replied then sent a mighty punch right into Dash's face.  
Dash got at least 15 feet of air as he sailed into a stack of oil drums, knocking them all down like getting a strike in bowling. Denise thought she had finished the job and was about to pull out cuffs when Dash reappeared, sending drums outwards. Now he was going on the offensive. Denise already saw the punch coming a mile away so she dodged it then tried to counter but Dash put up a resistance of his own. Both of them for the next few minutes sent shots back and forward and defended against them quite well. They both stopped to get a breather.  
"You done yet?" Denise asked.  
"Are you kidding? That was just a warm up" Dash replied.  
On the ground were several railroad spikes which Dash picked up then threw at Denise.  
"Ow! Ouch! OW!" she yelled as she tried to dodge them but was hit by several.  
"It's like that, huh?" Denise kicked Dash in the gut which resulted in him bending forward a bit. Finding a glass door which hadn't been broken yet, she leaned it right against the top of Dash's head and kicked hard, breaking all the glass as it rained on the thief who fell to the ground. He caught himself, then stood back up but Denise came in for another attack, kicking him on the side of his head. On the second kick he caught her leg then with a coffee pot in hand he brought it up right up to her face, shattering the glass. Now covering her face, Denise stood back. Dash saw the opening and charged towards Denise.  
"Just kidding!" Denise said taking her hands off her face then one-two-punched Dash sending him right back down to the dirt ground.  
"My my, you've improved a lot" Dash said, breathing hard on the ground.  
Denise paused.  
"What does that mean? You act like you've met me before!" Denise waited for Dash to stand up again to resume the fight.  
Dash stood back up. He knew he was no match for Denise. He quickly tried to come up with a plan.  
"I haven't never fought against anyone like you before, Denny….oh shit!" Dash uttered.  
Denise froze. Her heart skipped a beat after hearing what Dash just called her.  
"Denny?! Only one person in my life called me that and she's dead! Why did you call me that?!" Denise pressed.  
Rather than answering Dash began to run again. Denise stood for a moment as she watch Dash tried to get away but she knew she could catch up easily.  
"How did he know…unless…NO…that's not possible!"  
With all her might she ran after Dash. It was now the lunch hour so the crane operator was on break. Dash climbed up the tall crane trying to stay away from the approaching cop. Soon Denise arrived.  
"YOU! WHO ARE YOU!?" Denise yelled.  
"Go away!" Dash replied.  
"NO! You called me Denny! You have the exact same eyes as the person who did that! Who are you?!" Denise was almost in tears.  
"Please, just leave me alone, Denise" Dash said.  
Unfortunately for Dash, the crane operator forgot to set the parking brake on. Slowly, the crane moved forward towards the conveyor belt.  
"What the…oh dammit!" Dash yelled once he realized what was going on.  
Denise jumped into the cab and figuring out what the brake was she pulled it, stopping the crane. Dash sighed in relief but lost his grip and fell on the conveyor belt below, knocking himself out. Even though no metal was on it the machine still moved straight into the crusher several yards ahead. It was about 15 feet above the ground.  
"Crap, this isn't good!" Denise burst out of the cab and climbed the crane enough to get on to the conveyor belt.  
Denise soon caught up and with a bit of effort she pushed Dash off the conveyor belt then jumped off soon after with many feet to spare from the crushing machine. The fall to the ground woke Dash up. He held his neck a bit but stood up to find Denise standing very close with arms crossed.  
"Oh…thanks…I think…" he said.  
As fast as lighting Denise put one hand on one bandana and one on the other and pulled hard, revealing Dash's identity. She released both bandanas as she glared into the eyes of the crook who turned out to be female. Denise started to grunt.  
"L-L-LIZ!" Denise's shout caused the crushing machine and conveyor belt to stop.  
"Heh heh…hi Denny" Liz spoke very nervously as she tried to chuckle.  
"YOU'RE SKY PIRATE DASH!? WHAT THE HELL IS GOING ON!? I THOUGHT YOU DIED!" Denise was furious.  
"It's…a complicated story" Liz just stared at the ground, ashamed to look her sister in the eye.  
Grabbing her sister by the collar, Denise lifted Liz off the ground then backed her into a metal support beam that held the conveyor belt up.  
"YOU BITCH…YOU BITCH!" she punched Liz hard in the face several times.  
"HOW DARE YOU SHOW UP TO ME LIKE THIS?! DO YOU HAVE ANY IDEA THE HELL YOU PUT MOM AND I THROUGH BECAUSE OF YOUR FEIGNED DEATH?! AS IF OUR FATHER'S DEATH WASN'T ENOUGH YOU GO AND PULL THIS STUNT SO YOU CAN RUN AROUND AS A PIRATE!?" her shouting echoed throughout the junkyard.  
The junkyard dogs hid in their small houses, afraid to come out. She let go of Liz as she fell to the ground. She winced in pain from all the punches yet somehow she had no black eyes, a bloody nose, or a fat lip.  
"I'm…sorry sis…I got involved with the wrong people while working as a police officer. I have no excuse for what I did" came her feeble response.  
Denise was so upset she couldn't find anything else to say. She continued to glare down at her older sister while she looked back up at her sheepishly. Denise's rage turned into sadness. Falling to her knees she let out a steam of tears as she covered her face.  
"I can't believe this is happening" she said to herself.  
Liz was about to try and comfort her sister until she noticed the necklace she was wearing. It was a chain necklace with the Bonne symbol on it.  
"Wait a fucking minute!" Liz was now furious which shocked the hell out of Denise.  
"Why do you have the Bonne symbol around your neck? I've done a few deals with the dude with the long white hair! I know who they are now speak up, Denise!"  
Denise was in a pickle. She now felt bad for what she did to her sister.  
"You're either fucking that guy or at the very least part of their family so which one is it? You know what, forget whichever one it is! I can tell you're associated with them somehow aren't you!?"  
Denise just nodded her head.  
"You hypocritical psychotic bitch! I don't want to hear about what I did being wrong from you!"  
"You still faked your death, Liz. I'm sorry for trying to beat the stuffing out of you but you did bring pain to mom and I"  
"Pain? How do you think mom is going to feel when she finds out you're living with…"  
"She already knows, Liz" Denise cut her off.  
"And she approves" Denise smiled.  
"W-What!?"  
"Yeah that's right. I suggest you march your ass to our home shortly and apologize for what you've done. I was surprised when she told me she was happy for me. The least you can do is bring her back some joy when she finds out you're alive" Denise said.  
"What about you? Shouldn't you be happy?" Liz asked.  
"In time I will be but I'm still in utter shock that I find you alive after 5 years of thinking you were dead and for bad reasons"  
"Sis!"  
"Yes I know. I live with the Bonnes. But what you did was much worse"  
Denise waited a few moments, calming herself down trying to be happy that Liz was alive.  
"Where have you been living this whole time?" Denise looked at Liz in the eyes.  
"I've been more of a nomad, sneaking into open hotel windows wherever a room is vacant. And you. What happened to you? You were always the goody two-shoes of the Marmalade sisters and now you're living among the same people we would have arrested when we were working on Ryship and on that note why are you now working here on Kattelox Island?"  
"I lost my job on Ryship because I used a weapon without authorization. As far as what happened to me, I was almost killed by the Bonne sister and that's when everything changed. All the anger and frustration I held in for years came out when I tried to literally kill, Tron. And that still wasn't enough"  
"Wait, you lost a catfight to a pirate chick?"  
"At that time I wasn't trained the way I am now. I may be just an officer but the other officers treat me with great respect because they know I can kick some ass. You remember how awful it was working on Ryship"  
A vein popped out on Liz's head.  
"Yes, I still remember that one dude, who dared to grope you on your rear. I made sure he paid for that!" Liz exclaimed.  
"You did? How?"  
"Remember that bombing that happened in the lower suburb of Gold City?"  
"Yes?"  
"That was all me. I mean how else did you think that part of the city got the nickname 'Bomb City'?"  
"Liz! He almost died from that! What if you got caught?!"  
"I don't care! No one messes with my sister…except me of course" she grinned.  
Denise just looked at Liz without an expression. Liz looked back on the ground, intimidated again. It seemed like nothing she could do or say would make her sister smile.  
"I'm sorry, Denise. I know this whole thing is a mess but at least it can be fixed…to an extent anyways"  
Denise stood up.  
"Stand up, Liz"  
"…okay?"  
After standing up, Denise walked right up to her sister. To Liz's surprise, Denise embraced her tightly as she started to form tears.  
"Don't ever do that again, okay Liz?"  
Liz returned the action.  
"I won't, Denny"  
The two sisters stayed embraced for a few seconds longer before letting go.  
"One other thing, Liz" Denise said.  
"Anything, sis. What is it?"  
Liz was about to be taught a hard lesson in cause and effect. From Liz's eyes, she saw Denise slowly wind her fist back but she thought nothing of it. She held the same soft smile which was the last thing she did before her lights went out. Denise sucker punched her sister as hard as she could. Liz was out cold as she flew back then slid down the dirt hill before coming to rest in an old shopping cart.  
"That's for our family" Denise said, frowning, as she watched her sister.  
Denise gathered her belongings then left Liz behind. It would be right at sundown when Coney finally showed up. It took him several minutes before finding the shopping cart with Liz in it. She was already awake but her thoughts and slight pain kept her where she was at.  
"Bleh?"  
"Coney…I think I messed up. Denise knows who I am and she's pissed. I mean I knew she was going to be upset but I didn't think she would get this mad. She's not the same Denise she was when I first left. In a way, that's good because she can live on her own now without anyone having to worry about her. I was worried her more sheltered life would lead to disaster but she overcame that"  
"Bleh?"  
"Me? What do you think happened? I got my ass kicked and then sucker punched by my own sister. Not one of my finest moments in life. But we need to make up for the shitty day we've had. You know what I mean?"  
"Bleh!"  
"Just give me a second. This shopping cart is actually quite comfortable"  
Coney was getting impatient.  
"Bleh bleh!"  
"Okay fine, geez!"  
Liz finally stood up. Walking back up the hill where the metal crusher was at, she found her bandanas and put them back on.  
"We need to find a way to get to Grand Island. There's a harbor not far from here. We can figure out which ships are heading there and hop on. You ready?"  
"Bleh"  
The duo crooks left the junkyard as all that was left of the day was the pinkish hue left behind by the sunset.


End file.
